Better Education, Better Health, Longer Lives | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

Better Education, Better Health, Longer Lives | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity:

Better Education, Better Health, Longer Lives

A new brief (and video!) from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows why better educational opportunities lead to better health and longer lives. If you needed one more reason to support quality education for every child, look no further than the fact that since the 1990s, life expectancy has fallen for people without a high school education. read more

by jocelyn / 2min hide  //  save

Education: It Matters More to Health than Ever Before

Publication Date:  Fri, 2014-01-10 Organization:  Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health & the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Type:  Report Category:  Early Care and Education Education: It Matters More to Health than Ever Before Americans with fewer years of education have poorer health and shorter lives, and that has never been

by jocelyn / 2min

Obama Administration Backs School Discipline Reform

In a big step forward for school discipline reform, the federal govenment released recommendations to end the use of harsh discipline policies and implement positive alternatives. Today is a big step forward for school discipline reform and the many advocates and organizers nationwide fighting to end the school-to-prison pipeline. read more

3 by jocelyn / 2d 

NYC Public School Parents: Good News! NY State Ed will postpone uploading student names to inBloom until at least April!

NYC Public School Parents: Good News! NY State Ed will postpone uploading student names to inBloom until at least April!:

Good News! NY State Ed will postpone uploading student names to inBloom until at least April!

Here are some  news clips on the state’s decision to delay transferring any more data to inBloom until  at least April, including student names and family contact info:  LoHud News, EdWeek, and Capital NY. 

In case there’s any confusion about this, our efforts to permanently block the transfer of personally identifiable student data without parental consent to inBloom and other vendors will continue in the courts and legislatively.

I have good news on our lawsuit to stop the state from sharing any more personally identifiable student data with inBloom.  NYSED officials said in December that that they could not put off uploading student names, etc. to inBloom Inc. any later than Jan. 22, and our court date asking for an immediate injunction was set for state court this Friday.  Yet just yesterday, the Attorney General’s office informed our attorneys that the NYSED has moved back its date for the transfer of the student data to inBloom to no earlier than April 1, 2014. 

According to the AG office, NYSED claims the delay is because their “contractors” are behind schedule. However, it must be considered that the nearly unanimous opposition of NY parents, educators, school board members, and elected leaders of both parties to the sharing of this data with inBloom-- and 

Choosing Democracy: California budgets and schools

Choosing Democracy: California budgets and schools:

California budgets and schools

by Duane Campbell

On January 9, California  Governor Brown proposed a budget for the 2014/2015 fiscal year.  It will be subject to changes until July 1 when it should pass and become the state budget.

The California Budget Project describes one of the major issues for schools.

1.     The Governor’s proposed budget eliminates outstanding obligations to K-12 school districts and increases funding for the state’s new education funding formula. Specifically, the Governor’s proposed budget:

o   ·  Eliminates $5.6 billion in outstanding debt owed to schools. The Governor’s proposed budget provides more than $2.2 billion in 2014-15, and $3.3 billion in 2012-13 and 2013-14 combined, to repay previously deferred payments to K-12 school districts, which reached $9.5 billion at the end of 2011-12.

o   ·  Provides $4.5 billion to continue implementation of the state’s new education funding formula. As part of the 2013-14 budget agreement, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) restructured the state’s education finance system. The LCFF provides school districts a base grant per student, adjusted to reflect the number of students at various grade levels, as well as additional grants for the costs of educating English learners, students from low-income families, and foster youth. The Governor’s proposed budget provides $4.5 billion to fund LCFF grants for K-12 school districts and charter schools in 2014-15, and $25.9 million to fund LCFF grants for county offices of education – all of which include cost-of-living adjustments.

What does this mean for you and I.  First, this is not a gift.  These allocations are required repayments to the schools for debts owed under Prop. 98.

How will this budget be allocated? Most of this is up to the individual school districts and boards of education.  As you know school budgets were devastated by the economic crisis and these “deferred payments” made it worse.  Now, how to rebuild.

We, the people, passed Prop. 30 in 2012 to adequately fund the schools.  School funding has not been restored- yet. California currently ranks 49th. of the 50 states in counselors per student, 49th. in students per classroom,   and 50 of the 50 states in librarians per student.

Teachers and public school advocates should argue to first provide adequate class size and  counselors  and librarians for 

Purposeful obfuscation, head in the sand, or fear? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Purposeful obfuscation, head in the sand, or fear? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Purposeful obfuscation, head in the sand, or fear?

by thenotebook on Jan 10 2014 Posted in Commentary

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by James H. Lytle

On Monday, Jan. 13 the School Reform Commission is scheduled to discuss a universal application and enrollment process that would begin next fall.  Yes, this is an important matter deserving of public, parent, and student attention. But why is the commission devoting its January meeting to this topic when so many larger ones remain unresolved?

I think there is an explanation, but not a comfortable one. Our elected and appointed leaders – the governor, the mayor, City Council, the SRC, the superintendent – are approaching the School District’s dilemmas as what psychiatrist and leadership guru Ron Heifetz calls “technical problems,” problems that can be solved by applying current know-how. In Heifetz’ view, people expect those in charge to know what to do, and those in charge think that leading means accepting responsibility for solving the problems.

But the complexity of the District’s problems might better be considered as what Heifetz calls “adaptive challenges,” those that “require experiments, new discoveries, and adjustments from numerous places in the organization or community.” Heifetz argues, in his book Leadership on the Line, that “Without learning new ways – changing attitudes, values, and behaviors – people cannot make the adaptive leap necessary to thrive in [a] new environment. The 

 

No more school closings this year, says Superintendent Hite

After losing two dozen schools last year, the School District of Philadelphia won't be seeing any closings in 2014.  Superintendent William Hite announced Friday afternoon that the District would not be proposing any school closures this year.   read more

17 by David Limm / 1h hide  //  save

Monday's SRC meeting to address possibility of universal enrollment

by Bill Hangley Jr. When the School Reform Commission meets Monday for its monthly public strategy session, its goal will be to discuss the pros and cons of an unprecedented proposal: unifying the enrollment process for Philadelphia’s public, charter, and parochial schools. But behind the scenes, a lengthy process involving a working group that included multiple stakeholders appears to have create

5 by thenotebook / 2h 

Notes from the news, Jan. 10

​Federal jury acquits Brown on 6 counts, deadlocks on 54. Inquirer Feds to retry Philly charter school founder after jury deadlocks on most charges. NewsWorks Philly schools can't afford to cut more programs, credit agency warns. Inquirer One year later: West Philly High School sale still pending. City Paper How to discipline students without turning school into a prison. Atlantic Yes, schools can

1 by thenotebook / 5h 

1-10-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Good Thing on a Friday

Arbor Heights Elementary School's photo.A VERY big thank you to Softchoice for their very generous donation. Today at our monthly assembly Harry Turpin, from Softchoice's Seattle office, presented a check for $3,829.49 to purchase replacement computers (stolen Fall 2012). Softchoice employees held a variety of fundraisers to help raise the dollars donated to our school. We will always remain appr

by Melissa Westbrook / 2h 

Friday Open Thread

How to fund schools properly?  The Stranger Slog offers up not one but two alternatives.  It can be done and done without adding onerous bills (like grading schools) in order to say "we're doing something about education" before education is truly fully funded.Here's the district's "official" notice about proposed Transportation changes.  I'll note a couple of things.  One, the

by Melissa Westbrook / 1h 

1-9-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Dorn Unveils Bill to Fully Fund K-12 Public EdFrom OSPI:State Superintendent Randy Dorn today released a draft of a bill that would move Washington state toward the full funding of basic education in the event that the Legislature fails to do so by Jan. 1, 2018. Among other things, the bill calls for a one percent increase in sales tax, an increase in state propert

by mike simpson / 16h 

David Greene: Building a Culture of Respect - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

David Greene: Building a Culture of Respect - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

David Greene: Building a Culture of Respect

By Anthony Cody on January 10, 2014 1:50 PM

 David Greene taught high school social studies for 38 years in New York. He has authored a new book, Doing the Right Thing; A Teacher Speaks, which shares valuable lessons for teachers and policymakers alike. Here is an excerpt, on the subject of building respect and rapport with students. 

Let's start with kids. For them, respect is as important as motivation, often more so. I am not talking about their respect for teachers. They respect those who respect them. Don't get me wrong. They want structure and authority. But they need to know that their teachers understand their "code of the street", wherever that street is, as much as teachers need to reinforce the code of the school. As Elijah Anderson wrote in Code of the Street (1999), "Respect becomes critical....Much of the code has to do with achieving and holding respect. And children learn its rules early." That respect is from their peers, who they have to live with outside of your class and the school. "The street serves as a mediating influence under which children may have to reconsider and rearrange their personal orientations....Adolescents everywhere are insecure and trying to establish their identities....In poor, inner-city neighborhoods, verbal prowess is important for establishing identity...the need for being in physical control of at least one portion of one's environment becomes internalized."

In the streets and in schools, Anderson asserts that, "even small children test one another, pushing and shoving...ready to hit other children over matters not to their liking." Why? To maintain respect. "By the fourth grade, enough children have opted for the code of the street that it begins to 

1-10-14 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG - Pin to Win 2014 Education Resolutions with ASCD — Whole Child Education

Pin to Win 2014 Education Resolutions with ASCD — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Pin to Win 2014 Education Resolutions with ASCD

January 10, 2014 by Tina Byland

Go to www.ascd.org/pin2014resolutions to submit the entry form.

1-9-14 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG - Moment on the Couch — Whole Child Education

Moment on the Couch — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGMoment on the CouchJanuary 9, 2014 by Barry SaideI remember the moment clearly when it clicked for me. I was sitting on the couch with my three-year-old two weeks ago. We were both happy. Him watching Toy Story 2. Me sitting next to him. He reached out and grabbed my hand. For the next three minutes he held it. We didn't say a word.

by mike simpson / 20h 

Behind the School Closure Epidemic » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Behind the School Closure Epidemic » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names:

Rightsizing Time

Behind the School Closure Epidemic

by MICHELLE RENEE MATISONS and SETH SANDRONSKY

Will there be a time when the term “school to prison pipeline” becomes “the home to prison pipeline” or the “home to military pipeline” because there are simply no more schools to speak of? If you interpret the public school closure epidemic sweeping U.S. cities as a deliberate attack on primarily poor black, Latino, and immigrant communities, then you already understand more than many politicians, judges, CEOs, and education policy apologists/analysts will concede. It’s surprising not more people are talking about the widespread impact of mass school closure; not a single education item made it onto Project Censored’s annual list of most censored news stories for 2013. School closures did receive mainstream media coverage recently on MSNBC. Melissa Harris-Perry’s webpage recently featured an article by Trymaine Lee that provides stunning statistics regarding school closures in poor/black neighborhoods. In Chicago “88% of the students affected by the school closures are African-American. The numbers are just as glaring in Philadelphia, where 81% are black. In both cities more than 93% of the affected students come from poor families.”

While being a wildly popular solution for both political parties, school closure (“rightsizing”) is a very dangerous plan when you consider the social impact of restructuring. So far, available studies indicate that mass school closure is failing as a quick academic and financial fix. Given the evidence of failure—why the ongoing school closure trend? The authors consider the culture/class wars (which include gender-class based 

Governor's Proposed Budget - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

Governor's Proposed Budget - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Comments on Governor's Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2014-15

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement today on Governor Brown's proposed budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year:
"This budget builds upon California's recommitment to ensuring that every child graduates with the tools they need to succeed in the society and economy they will find outside their classrooms. When the voters passed Proposition 30 in 2012, they put our schools back on track after several years and billions of dollars of budget cuts. With this new plan, we continue down that path. Per-pupil spending continues to climb—with additional funding for the most vulnerable of our students under the Local Control Funding Formula. And schools face the prospect of starting the next school year with billions of dollars of deferrals finally repaid.
"I thank the Governor for making education a top priority in the budget. It means a strong starting point for the coming months' conversations—but work remains to be done. I look forward to discussing with Governor Brown universal transitional kindergarten—opening the door to this early learning opportunity for every 4-year-old in California. We must continue our support for schools as they make the switch to the Common Core State Standards—a smart choice for preparing our children for college and careers, and one that will benefit from professional development, improved technology, and new materials.
"Californians across the state know that children deserve every tool and opportunity to thrive inside the classroom and out. I'll continue working with Governor Brown and the Legislature over the next six months to make sure that education remains the top priority in the state budget."

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

A welcome recognition of the importance of engaging parents | EdSource Today

A welcome recognition of the importance of engaging parents | EdSource Today:

A welcome recognition of the importance of engaging parents

January 10th, 2014 | Add a Comment | 
By Oscar Cruz and Yolie Flores / commentary

1

Oscar Cruz

As education advocates we know the powerful connection between student achievement and parent engagement.

Take any student; no matter what grade they’re in, which school they attend, their ethnic or racial background, their age, what part of the state they live in – take your pick of factors, but when you get their parents involved, that student will always do better in school. The research behind this is well documented and well known.

But like the quality of education those schools offer across the state, the quality and even the commitment to parent engagement is anything but consistent.

That’s one of the reasons why we as education advocates and community leaders are behind Gov. Jerry Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). LCFF is, in fact, a significant victory for parent engagement advocates. The law makes parent engagement one of eight statewide priorities and holds districts to a higher standard and great level of commitment to parent engagement than ever before.

Yolie Flores

To begin with, the law requires districts to solicit the opinion of parents when developing their education plans. They are required to solicit parent input through community meetings, parent committees and other engagement strategies. But these types of requirements have historically fallen short of effectively reaching out to parents and addressing the real needs. For example, concerns have been raised about how schools interact with low-income, immigrant, foster, or disadvantaged families. Many of these parents have faced discrimination at their children’s schools and therefore feel undervalued in their child’s education. Many schools fail to provide adequate guidance to parents who are trying to support their child’s 

How I came out to my students | Edwize

How I came out to my students | Edwize:

How I came out to my students

 hudsynyc is the pseudonym of a second-year high school ELA teacher in Brooklyn. If you’d like to submit an entry for the New Teacher Diaries, please email edwize@uft.org.

Sixteen 14-year-old girls taught by one 28-year-old woman. It is my second year having an all-girls 9th-grade advisory class at my high school in Brooklyn. Advisory is a more informal class where students have the opportunity to build real relationships with each other and with their advisory teacher.

By the end of September, my group of girls knew many things about me: I am originally from the New Jersey suburbs. I have a cat and a dog. I play soccer every week. I am relaxed but like to get things moving and accomplished in the classroom. They knew I buy my jeans at American Eagle and that I am never without an iced coffee in the morning. What they didn’t know was that I am married to a woman.

Although our school does not yet have a gay-straight alliance or any LGBT staff members who are out to the students, gay or bisexual teenagers seem ordinary to many of our students, who speak freely about their own sexuality and that of their peers. We even have a transgender student who changed his name and now uses the boys’ bathroom and locker room (as per the DOE’s nondiscrimination policy and our principal’s unyielding support).

At the start of this year, I was out to only that group of 10th-grade girls who had been in my advisory class last year. Now I had a new group of 14-year-old girls who didn’t know. What would

- See more at: http://www.edwize.org/how-i-came-out-to-my-students#sthash.F70k5uAi.dpuf

Broken Windows Schooling | EduShyster

Broken Windows Schooling | EduShyster:

Broken Windows Schooling

Suspending huge numbers of minority students is bad—unless it’s done in the name *college prep*

Suspending huge numbers of minority students is bad, bad, bad, as we learned this week from Obama administration officials. Which brings us to today’s high-stakes question: when is it fine, fine, fine for schools to have sky-high suspension rates?Answer: when said schools are academies of excellence and innovation that are *preparing students for college.* Ready the carabiner, reader—we’re about to scale the walls of Double Standards gulch.

The College XL Pipeline
Thanks to new federal standards, our failed and failing public schools must now seek out alternatives to out-of-school suspensions, which fall disproportionately on minority students, and are but the first section of pipe in the school-to-prison pipeline. Meanwhile at the *No Excuses* academies that a growing number of minority students have no choice but to attend, suspensions are seen as key to instilling self discipline. But don’t take my word for it. Let’s pay a call upon New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, soon to become the nation’s first all charter school district and, judging from recent news reports, home to 

Portland-area union volunteers calling substitutes to encourage them to avoid crossing picket line, in case of strike: PPS News | OregonLive.com

Portland-area union volunteers calling substitutes to encourage them to avoid crossing picket line, in case of strike: PPS News | OregonLive.com:

Portland-area union volunteers calling substitutes to encourage them to avoid crossing picket line, in case of strike: PPS News

Union volunteers from metro-area school districts have been calling substitutes to ask them to avoid crossing the picket line should the Portland Association of Teachers go on strike.

Union members from North Clackamas, Canby, Gresham-Barlow and other districts spent last night phone-banking, using substitute lists from various districts and buildings. A photograph of the volunteering made its way onto Facebook, with the caption mentioning "scab suppression calls."

Becca Uherbelau, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Education Association, said volunteers reported reaching 800 different substitutes across the metro area."The response was overwhelming that no one was willing to cross the picket line," she said.

No strike vote has been taken, but both the district and union have taken steps to be prepared for a legal walkout. According to state law, the union would have to give the district ten days notice before walking out.

In the case of a strike, Portland Public Schools would likely try to keep the doors open by calling on Portland substitutes or surrounding metro areas to replace the 2,800 

PPS CONTRACT TALKS

• Portland-area union volunteers calling substitutes to encourage them to avoid crossing picket line, in case of strike: PPS News
• Portland Public Schools teachers: How are you feeling about negotiations? (survey)
• Portland teachers union to send latest offer by Saturday; both sides agree to later decide on mediation
• Portland Association of Teachers to union members: 'Close' is not a contract
• What could Portland Public Schools gain for ground it has given in union negotiations?